


Liability

by SpiritWorld



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Chad does some soul searching, Dyslexia, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Speech Disorders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 10:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11827245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritWorld/pseuds/SpiritWorld
Summary: Born son of Cinderella and Kit Charming, Chad is no stranger to the burdens of society's expectations and chooses to face his problems head on (Read: not at all). His usual "fake it until you make it" attitude is interrupted when his captaincy of Auradon's Tourney team is threatened by a failing grade in English. As tensions rise, he finds himself getting a lot more out of his weekly tutoring lessons than he bargained for.





	1. Prologue: I Can Change

When Chad Charming was born he was the light of his parents’ lives. His mother could not believe her eyes when she first held her baby boy. Soft tufts of blond hair sprung from his small head curling every which way, and his tiny hands had the most adorable habit of tightening themselves around one of her fingers. The child started to twitch his nose, eyes beginning to water and gums bared to signify his unhappiness. Gently she rocked her son singing until the music washed over him and put an end to his wailing. The sudden sense of peace that filled the room brought a radiant smile to the king’s face.

“He has your eyes,” Cinderella cooed continuing to rock the baby in her arms. He wasn’t asleep just yet, his eyes lay half lidded and there was a glint of hazel visible beneath them. She swore she had never seen such a beautiful color before in her life. Her husband moved closer to the bed so that he could easier reach his son. Gently, he lifted his hand up to the small face, extending his finger to lightly tap the boy’s nose.

“He has your nose.” Chad broke the air of calmness and began to giggle and wiggle around in his mother’s arms. She rocked the baby again in an attempt to lull him back to sleep but to no avail. The nursemaids gathered in the room, in awe of the sweet child before them as his giggles grew into sharp high pitched yelps.

“Quiet, quiet child.” Both the King and Queen turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. There stood Fairy Godmother much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

“Fairy Godmother, what are you doing here?” Cinderella asked, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

“Oh, I’ve come to give the child a blessing! Now isn’t he just the cutest little boy?” She nearly pushed the King aside to get closer to Chad who had at that point stopped yelping to focus on the strange woman in front of him. “Hello there young one. What should I bless you with?” The boy continued to stare up at her in complete silence. “Ah, I know! Now if I could just find where I put that wand.” The King and Queen shot each other an amused look while the Fairy checked her sleeves for her wand before pulling it out of thin air. “I do forget I put it there.”

“What are you blessing him with?”

“I’ll bless him with strength.”

“Strength?” Cinderella questioned. Fairy Godmother nodded.

“Now, not just physical strength, but a special resilience to help him to keep going when life gets difficult.” Her eyes seemed distant for a moment but came quickly back into focus. It worried Cinderella and she pulled Chad a bit closer to her.

“Is something going to happen to him?” She asked looking back up at her husband only to see that he was just as confused.

“I can’t say for certain, but I do know that strength is what I’m meant to bless him with. Bippity boppity boo!” A wave of light surrounded the newborn who began to gurgle and wave his hands around much to the delight of everyone in the room.

“Thank you for the-” before Cinderella could finish she looked up to see that the Fairy Godmother had disappeared as quickly as she had come. 

“We’ll protect him Cinderella, I promise,” King Charming placed an assuring hand on her shoulder as she went back to rocking Chad. A murmuring could be heard among the nursemaids as they began to speculate on the cryptic meaning behind the baby prince’s blessing. The King dismissed them leaving him and his wife alone with their child to ponder on what would happen next.

At age 3 Chad Charming said his first word.

“Mu- ma- mama,” the child mumbled as he swayed back and forth on his rocking horse. His mother, who had been rummaging through the books in his playroom, whipped around to face him. She stared at him in disbelief, dropping the book in her hand as she quickly crossed the room. The toddler continued to rock back and forth as if he hadn’t said a thing. She carefully crouched down in front of him to gain his attention.

“Chad, darling, did you say something?” The prince stopped rocking to stare at her, but made no effort to speak again. As silence continued to settle over the room, she could feel her heart drop. Her hope wavered as the seconds rolled by and she was sure that her constant wishing had led her to hear things that weren’t real. With a strained smile she stroked her son’s hair. “It’s okay, maybe some other day.”

“Mama!” He squealed as he tried to push away the offending hand that had set itself on his head. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she took Chad in her arms hoisting him up into the air. The boy began to giggle as his mother twirled him around the room. She laughed along with him, peppering his face with kisses.

“Mary! Mary!” She called out as she bounced Chad on her hip. A young woman who had been sweeping outside the door scuttled into the room, pressing down her wrinkled apron before bowing to Cinderella. 

“Yes, my queen.”

“Get the king please. It’s urgent.” The maid bowed once more and left to complete the task she was given.  
They had been concerned when, by the time of his second birthday, he hadn’t uttered a word. Fearing that he would never be able to talk, the King ordered the finest doctors in all of Auradon to come and examine the child. Medical technology had developed quite a bit, but no doctor could find any fault with the baby’s throat or vocal chords. One after another they all concluded that there was no reason for the baby to not be able to speak. He was able to make sounds when he laughed and when he cried, and scream when he was angry. One doctor tested to see if the boy was possibly deaf, but it was evident that he could hear. None of them could figure out what ailed the young prince, and so the king and queen had to wait. It was a relief unlike any other to know that that wait was finally over.

“Cinderella, what’s the matter,” the king stormed into the room heaving, from having sprinted up several flights of stairs. “You’re crying what happened?”

“Kit, he said his first words. He called me mama.” A joyous laughter leapt from inside of him as he felt his worries of the past months melting away. He encircled his wife and son in his arms placing a kiss on both of their heads. The toddler, having been severely confused by all the excitement, began to babble hoping his confusion would be understood.

“Ma- mama, mama!” The king let go of his family, stepping back to look his baby boy in the eyes.

“That’s right. Can you say papa?” For a while Chad stared at his father, fingers lodged inside his mouth. Then, with an air of perfect understanding, the boy vigorously shook his head much to the delight of his mother. The king shrugged. “We’ll work on it.”

“Do you think this means he’s going to be okay?” Cinderella asked rubbing circles on her son’s back. 

“I think he’ll be just fine,” the king nodded apprehensively. That night in honor of the young child’s long awaited achievement, a ball was held. The bright lights and festivities always served to make the young prince happy.

At age 8 Chad Charming was a handsome young boy with a mop of wild blond hair and chestnut eyes. 

The maids often fawned over his outfits and nagged him about his school work, constantly keeping an eye on him wherever he went. Around every corner he turned there was someone waiting to guide him or pester him. Anytime he caused any sort of mischief within the castle his parents knew immediately; he often found himself on the other end of lectures. It was odd to be watched 24/7. He didn’t pay much attention to any of them however. There were far more important things to worry about, like playing baseball with his grandfather when he came over to visit.

His grandfather had become quite old, but he never failed to keep up with his grandson. Chad sat on his bed, slipping into the new shoes his father had bought him the day before. He had just learned how to tie his own shoes a week prior and was excited to tell his grandfather the good news. Grabbing the bat that laid by his bed, he sped out of his room and down the hallway nearly plowing over the maids that stood outside.

“Please do slow down, Prince Chad!” One of them shouted after him. He kept running, choosing to ignore them as he often did. It took him nearly 6 minutes to get out to the courtyard where he knew his grandfather would be waiting for him. The man’s eyes lit up as he spotted the child running towards him with outstretched arms.

“Gran- grandpa!” Chad stuttered nearly knocking over the old man. His grandfather chuckled heartily, his stomach shaking with the force of his laughter.

“How’s my little soldier today?” He asked as soon as the boy had let go of him.

“Good! I learned how to t- tie my sho- shoes!” He exclaimed proudly pointing down to his feet at the uneven knot. The man smiled ruffling the prince’s hair.

“That’s my boy! Now where’s that ball I gave you for your birthday?” Chad looked down at his hands realizing he had grabbed the bat but not the ball. He frowned at his lapse in thought before looking up to his grandfather to apologize. The old man interjected before he could even start.

“It’s okay boy! We’ll have someone fetch another one,” he clapped his hands together to gain the attention of one of the servants. “Get us a ball right away.”

“No!” protested Chad, catching both the servant and his grandfather’s attention. “I’ll get the ball out of m- my room.” The prince knew it wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t play with the special baseball his grandpa had gifted him and he wasn’t willing to settle for anything less. The retired king laughed again at his grandson’s defiance slapping him on the back for good measure.

“Go ahead then! I’ll be waiting for you here,” Chad thanked his grandfather before running back into the grand hall that connected to the garden. His limbs hurt from running so much but his determination pushed him forward as he climbed up the first set of stairs. He prepared to go up the second flight when some peculiar whispering among the maids caught his attention.

“Did you hear?” The first maid asked.

“Hear what?” The other one questioned trying her best to keep her voice down. Chad thought they were both doing a poor job.

“Fairy Godmother is here to meet with the Queen and I heard it was for something urgent?”

“Well what do you think it is?” The prince sped up the stairs before they could even finish the conversation. A new sense of excitement bubbled up inside of him when he heard that Fairy Godmother had come to visit. He had faint memories of her from when he was little. There was always something about her that made her seem as if she were glowing. If she had come to visit his mother, she knew they would be in the private study. He quickly made his way to the very end of the hall until he reached the door he’d sought after. There were no maids or servants to be seen which meant the Queen probably didn’t want anyone listening in on their conversation. Chad _loved_ secrets. He tiptoed his way up to the door pressing an ear against the keyhole to help him hear better.

“Child, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he heard Fairy Godmother say.

“Why not? You have magic, please help him,” his mother cried. 

“I’ve retired my wand dear girl. It’s for the better, I’m sorry.”

“Why won’t you help my child?” He’d never heard his mother raise her voice before. It echoed through the room and left his ears burning. What was wrong with him? Had something happened that no one told him about.

“Cinderella, it is just a stutter it isn’t the end of the world. He most certainly does not need to be fixed you should be ashamed of yourself young lady!”

“My boy is supposed to be king one day and I don’t want him to be made fun of! I just want to fix what’s wrong with my child Fairy Godmother why won’t you help me?” Chad could feel his bottom lip begin to quiver and he bit it in an attempt to stop himself from crying. He’d never really thought about his stutter before, his grandpa had always told him that everyone spoke differently and that’s what made them unique. He’d always thought that the way he spoke was normal. Tears began to sting his eyes and he wiped at them with the sleeve of his shirt. He had stopped listening at that point; he wanted to forget everything that had just transpired. Voices floated down the hallway as some maids came to make their daily cleaning rounds. Chad turned around, keeping his head lowered as he stormed past them to his room, ignoring their hellos.

“I’m a p-prince. I- I’m a-. I- I- I-” Tears began to roll down his face as he repeated the phrase, trying his best not to stumble over his words, but each time his stuttering grew worse. In frustration he threw down the bat he was holding and took off his shoes, moving over to his bed to lay down. He felt as if someone had placed bricks on top of his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness washed over him and he wanted so badly to call for his mother like he always did when he was hurt, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to talk to her, he _knew_ he would stutter. Chad laid in his bed until one of the servants came to deliver an important message to him. He’d be starting speech therapy classes the following week. That night he dreamed of his future, living alone and being ridiculed by those around him, and vowed to do better. Vowed to do what he needed to in order to become the king he should be, the king everyone wanted him to be.


	2. Chapter 1: Bloodsport

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to go ahead an post this chapter right after the prologue to provide some actual Chad grown up and at Auradon content. This chapter I try my best to describe a Tourney game and everyone is frustrated.

At age 16 Chad Charming was the Co Captain of the Tourney team at Auradon Prep.

They were in the last quarter of the game against one of the schools in the neighboring regions, and the score was all tied up. Chad had called together a last minute huddle to decide the team’s game plan. 

“Alright Ben, I’m going to need you to keep an eye on number 12, he’s been scoring a lot of goals tonight,” Ben nodded and Chad moved on to the other players on the team. “You two stick close to the goal, you make sure to be on the defense, and you two,” he turned to face Jay and Carlos who had become a permanent part of their team ever since they came to Auradon Prep from the Isle of the Lost a couple of months before, “don’t mess up, okay?” Jay huffed, rolling his eyes at the prince before putting on his helmet.

“Alright team, let’s win this!” Ben yelled, earning a cheer from the rest of the players.

The ball was put into play in their zone and Ben was the first one to get his stick on it. He weaved between two players of the opposing team who came charging at him before passing it off to Grover who was coming down the field to his left. Carlos ran to the edge of the strike zone ready to receive the ball once it had been thrown his way. The crowd erupted in applause and chants as Carlos flipped his way through the strike zone, legs carrying him quickly through and over to the opposing team’s side. Careful not to be nicked by the opposing defenseman, he passed it to Leon who barely caught it by the tip of his stick.

Chad ran to position himself in front of the goal, crouched and ready to execute the game winner. He knew scouts were present at the region finals; he could feel their eyes on him the entire game, judging every move he made. Sweat dripped from his forehead, burning his eyes, but he kept his focus on the ball in front of him. Leon swung his stick, dodging an incoming defenseman, and the ball launched to the side of the goal. Chad’s legs responded without thought, sprinting for the ball only to have it snatched away by another player on the team. He struggled to keep himself from falling from the sudden loss of momentum and looked up to see Jay knocking over the last of the defensemen and scoring the game winning goal.

_His_ game winning goal.

The stadium went wild as the band started playing their victory song. Shouts of ‘Jay, Jay, Jay,’ filled the air as the students began dancing where they stood, reveling in the fact that Auradon Prep had once again made it to State. The team huddled together, hugging one another and patting Jay on the back for sealing the deal. 

For as loud as the stadium was, Chad couldn’t hear a thing because _No. No. No._ That did _not_ just happen. He tightened his grip on his stick, squeezing until his palms became as red as his face. No, he wasn’t mad, he was _fuming_. He could hear his heartbeat drumming in his ears as he stomped over to where Jay stood, smug and smiling like he expected this to happen. Like he expected to sabotage one of Chad’s most important games in front of the talent scouts. 

_What. The._

“Fuck! What the fuck, Jay?” Chad screamed, pointing his finger accusingly at the boy in front of him.

“What’s the problem, Chad? Can’t bare not being in the spotlight for once?” Chad swore he’d never seen a face look more punchable than in that exact moment in time.

“Dude, that goal was mine! I had it, man!”

Jay shrugged. “Shoulda called it, bro. My bad.”

“Your bad? How about you-“

“HEY!” Ben shouted getting in between the two. “We just won! We’re going to State! Calm down and celebrate, please.”

Chad snorted. “Celebrate? With this goal stealing punk?”

“Chad,” Ben addressed him, resting one hand on his shoulder pads. “This is a team sport. As in we’re all in this together. If one person wins, everyone wins. You know, all for one and one for all. So let it go man.”

Chad stared at his best friend in disbelief. “Ben,” he murmured through gritted teeth, “the scouts!”

“I know, Chad! We’ll… we’ll talk it over later. And, Jay?” The other boy lifted one eyebrow as he stood there awkwardly shifting his gaze between the two. “No deliberate angering of the captain. Okay?”

Jay merely threw up his hands in front of him and walked away, rejoining the rest of the still celebrating team. Chad threw off Ben’s hand from his shoulder. “Whatever! I’m going back to the room.” He elbowed his way through the crowd, uncaring of the stares that were directed towards him as he exited the field.

x

He slammed the door behind him as he trudged into the room, pulling his sweat stained jersey up and over his head and throwing it down onto his bed. He paced back and forth across the room, undoing his shoulder pads as he walked. He needed to get out. He needed to go on a run. Shit, he needed _something_ to do. The adrenaline from the game was still racing through him, making it impossible to sit still. 

With the rest of his padding removed, he went to take off his undershirt when he heard the door swing open behind him. Ben waltzed in, sports bag in hand, already clad in only his undershirt and a pair of running shorts. Chad knew that meant he left the celebration early too. He probably ran back after changing. _Of course he did._

“I’m going for a run,” Chad announced, opting to keep his undershirt on and go as is. He attempted to push past Ben but a hand shot out to block his way.

“Chad, we have to talk about the game.”

“Uh, no,” he hummed impatiently making another move to leave and still being met by resistance.

“Chad-”

“What, man? I’m gonna lose my shot at going pro because Jay couldn’t not be a dick for once!” Chad crossed his arms, resigning himself to the conversation he had been forced into.

“Jay’s only being like that with you because you’re being a jerk to him first!” That earned Ben an eyeroll from the other boy.

“Fine, take his side! That’s cool too.” He and Ben side stepped simultaneously, preventing him from making his escape yet again.

“Hey, it’s not about taking sides! Chad, the scouts don’t care if you score every single game winner! You’re talented and you’re a great playmaker. Seriously, it’ll be okay, you can stop pouting, man.”

He was most definitely not pouting.

“I’m not pouting!” He scoffed, taking a couple of steps back to finally fully let Ben into the room. “You really think I could go pro though?” He asked, his voice rising in a way that signified to the king that, yes, he was most definitely fishing for compliments. Ben chuckled, clapping his friend on the back before setting down his sports bag on his bed.

“I know you will. They’d be stupid not to draft you,” he answered, sitting down on the bed and pulling out the bag of trail mix he had stored in his bag.

“They would have to be stupid, huh? I mean, I’m a cool captain, _the_ most valuable player-”

“Super humble,” Ben added around a mouth of trail mix.

“I mean, yeah.” Chad’s response was met with another chuckle from Ben which earned him a pillow to the head. 

“But seriously, you’ve done great things with this team. You’re a better leader than most people give you credit for, I think.” Chad gave him the first genuine smile he’d mustered all day. His body was exhausted, and he could feel it now that the anger and energy had dissipated. His joints were aching from the overuse and his eyelids felt like they were ready to fall shut whether or not he was prepared to go to bed. 

“Hey, I’m gonna hit the shower and-” A curt knock cut off his comment. They both turned to look at the door, and then back at each other. Ben motioned for him to go check who was there eliciting a mumbled ‘fine’ before Chad sauntered over to it, quickly swinging it open.

“Hey, Jane?” She greeted him timidly in return, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. For as close as they were when he was little, they’d barley held a conversation all the time they’d been at Auradon together. They sometimes flashed one another smiles if they passed each other in the hall and one caught the other staring, but to have Jane seek him out? That was a new one.

“Um, Fairy Godmother needs to see you in her office, right away.” Chad’s smile faltered.

“Why?” Jane shrugged, worrying her lip as her fingers rapped against the back of the clipboard she was holding.

“She didn’t say. Okay, um, bye!”

“Wait!” She paused in the door frame, her body half turned away from him as she was poised to leave. “Hey, uh, are you busy? This afternoon?”

“Um, what? Wait, why-” she sputtered eyes scanning the room until they met Ben’s, pleading for an explanation. Ben only shook his head at her.

“I have TONS of homework that needs to be done and, well, I thought, since you were so smart and all-” 

“Bye, Chad,” she interrupted him, successfully wiping the smile off his face for the second time in their all but two minute conversation. Before he could ask her anything else the girl turned around and made her way quickly down the hall. Chad shut the door behind her and turned back around to face Ben who had apparently been choking on his laughter.

“Were you trying to convince Fairy Godmother’s daughter to do your homework? Haven’t you, like, not talked in ages?” Chad rolled his eyes at the young king not at all amused at his sudden laughing fit.

“Well yeah, but I’m running out of options okay.”

“You could always, I don’t know, do the homework yourself,” Ben suggested picking up Chad’s backpack and tossing it onto his bed. Chad tossed the offending item back.

“Or, I don’t know, you could do it for me,” he smirked as Ben caught his backpack and set it down on the ground.

“As King in training of Auradon, I think it’s better if I practice honesty.” 

Chad snorted. “Okay, nerd.”

“You should probably go see Fairy Godmother. It sounded important.”

Chad scowled at him but shrugged on his Letterman jacket anyway. He didn’t bother waving goodbye to Ben as he walked out of their room. The walk to the headmistress’ office wasn’t a long one, and he found himself outside of her door soon enough. He knocked on the door twice before letting himself in. The office seemed smaller than he remembered, but just as bright with hues of pink and baby blue running along the walls. He couldn’t help but notice how every little thing in the room was the absolute definition of tidy. The books were all neatly lined up in rows, titles facing outward, five clocks hung on the back wall each set a perfect distance apart, mirroring each other down to the ticking of the second hand, and small crystal bowls filled with mints were evenly dispersed throughout the room.

“Hello, Chad dear. Please sit down,” Fairy Godmother directed waving her hand at the seat in front of her desk. He sat down shifting uncomfortably in the chair. 

“What’s this about, Fairy Godmother?” He had known her since he was a child, but had scarcely seen her while he was growing up. She had been kind to him whenever she did visit the castle, always bringing by presents for him. Looking at her reminded him of home. Each time he caught her staring at him with that faraway look in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking tore open those wounds he’d ignored long ago. He absentmindedly scratched his arm as he willed his brain to just _shut up._

“I’ll get straight to the point. You’re failing one of your classes and I’m worried about you.” 

A strained smile made its way onto his face as he locked eyes with her, “I’ll get my grades up soon. I’ve… just been busy.”

Fairy Godmother sighed, shaking her head at him. “I know that you get other people to do your work, young man.” He wasn’t all that surprised that someone had ratted him out, it was bound to happen eventually. “You’re better than that.” His muscles tensed at her words and his hands grew clammy as he adjusted himself in his seat. The way he was smiling tugged at the corners of his lips until they ached.

“No offense, but you don’t know anything about me,” he knew it was a lie before the comment even came out of his mouth. She knew his life better than anyone, save his family. If anyone knew anything about him, it would be her. But, he refused to give her the satisfaction of being right. The swirling look in her eyes said it all. The woman clasped her hands together firmly in front of her, gaze darting left to right as she carefully chose the next words she would say to him. Clearing her throat, she pressed on trying her best not to acknowledge his outburst.

“I promised your parents I’d look after you,” his eyebrows furrowed, smile dropping as he audibly scoffed at her words. 

“Don’t talk to me about my parents, okay? Nuh uh, not you,” He stood up so fast that his chair nearly fell over. “I’m done with this. Forget it!” Hands stuffed into his pockets he had every intention to walk out and go back to his dorm.

“Young man, sit down!” her voice cracked like a whip in the air, and he flinched at the audible shake the table made when she brought her hand down on it hard enough to bruise her skin. Stunned, he sunk back into his chair, avoiding the gaze that now burned into his skull. Never had he seen her this angry. She remained standing while he sat, glancing disbelievingly between him and her hand which was still firmly planted on her desk top. “Doug, I trust you’ve met him, offered to tutor you in English. You will let him tutor you until you bring up your grade to at least a B, or you won’t get to go to State with the Tourney team. Do you understand?”

He swallowed nodding silently at the woman.

“Good!” The smile she had greeted him with earlier returned, not fully extending to her eyes. “Alright now, you go get a good night’s sleep,” she ushered, walking with him to the door. His eyes never left his feet but he could feel her gaze on him, waiting for him to say something back.

“Yeah, alright,” it was silent for another moment and then he felt a warmth envelop his shoulder. Her small hands squeezed with more force than he thought necessary before letting him go. Without looking back he made his way down the empty corridors, the click of the shutting door echoing in the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you liked! It keep me motivated!

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this sitting on my computer for a year and a half now and I've decided to start posting the chapters I have finished. This fic does portray a character with a speech impediment and dyslexia and I just want to make a quick disclaimer that I do not have personal experience with either of these. I have asked some friends who have personal experience but please let me know if there's anything I could improve on or alter if you yourself have personal experience with stuttering and/or dyslexia. Please comment if you enjoy reading as it really keeps me motivated to keep going!


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